The present disclosure generally relates to needleless connectors, and, in particular, to connectors with an internal collapsible valve.
Medical treatments often include the infusion of a medical fluid, for example a saline solution or a liquid medication, to patients using an intravenous (IV) catheter that is connected though an arrangement of flexible tubing and fittings, commonly referred to as an “IV set,” to a source of fluid, for example an IV bag. The fittings commonly include interconnectable male and female needleless connectors having a “Luer taper” conforming to an International Standards Organization (ISO) standard. Certain connectors have a self-sealing feature to prevent leakage of fluid from the attached tubing when the connector is decoupled from a mating connector.
One challenge with certain conventional needleless self-sealing connectors is that the medical fluid passing through the connector may become trapped in crevices and recesses within the connector. As certain types of medical fluids may degrade within a treatment time period, retention of medical fluid within the connector is undesirable.